


Cliche and Kinda Stupid

by InvisiNinja



Series: Check Him Out [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Library, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Bisexual Steve Rogers, Bisexual Tony Stark, First Meetings, Happy Ending, I'm Sorry, M/M, Not Beta Read, POV Tony Stark, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Probably won't get better at it though, Sorry for that too, Tony Stark-centric, Tony-centric, but technically it's a, i can't tag, i suck at summaries, it's my first fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-10
Updated: 2016-09-10
Packaged: 2018-08-14 04:11:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7998106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InvisiNinja/pseuds/InvisiNinja
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony has been writing notes back and forth with an anonymous person for months. It'd be nice to match a face to those notes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cliche and Kinda Stupid

**Author's Note:**

> Please be gentle if you have any constructive criticism, my self-esteem is very fragile unfortunately.  
> If anyone actually reads this, you are an amazing person and I love you.

Tony steps out of his front door and takes a deep breath in. It’s another Saturday which means it’s time for his weekly visit to the library, so he starts making his way there. He hasn’t gotten any sleep last night so he decides to set out a little earlier this morning. Tony’s only going to the library because he kinda accidentally started this thing. It sounds really cliché and kinda stupid when he thinks about it but it’s actually really cool at the same time. 

This thing is a note passing thing. He doesn’t know why he did it, but it was just on a whim one day. He was at the library studying for an exam and he just decided to write a note and put it in a random book. It was during his coffee break and he was like, “what the heck”. Rhodey and Pepper go to different schools so he rarely gets to see them, so it wouldn’t hurt to try to make a new friend… Although this probably wouldn’t be the smartest way to do that, but Tony Stark is a genius thus making it smart. 

And the funny thing is that someone actually replied. He went back a week later just to check and his note was gone, but a new one replaced it. He had written, “Hello stranger, this is totally weird so you can probably ignore this but on the offhand that you don’t. I’m kinda looking for someone to ~~put up with me~~ talk to me. I’m totally not a creep or anything even though it probably sounds like it.” The new note wrote, “Hi stranger, totally not creepy, not at all. Or maybe I’m a creep too for replying. :p It’s a pleasure to meet you though, or should I say it’s a pleasure to read you. ;)” 

After that, all the notes are a blur. He doesn’t even remember how he replied to that one, but it’s been going back and forth for months now and he still hasn’t met this mystery person yet. It’s embarrassing to think that he has all their notes in a box in his closet. But it’s still super duper cool, it’s like having a pen pal. He wonders if they’ll ever meet, it’d be really nice. If that day ever comes, he’s sure it’d be one of the best days of his life. Anybody who can make him smile and laugh through words on a paper can’t possibly be a bad person. He wonders what their laughter sounds like. Tony notices that people are looking at him. He realizes that he’s grinning his head off because he’s wondering whether mystery note person’s laugh would give him butterflies. He can feel his cheeks heat up. His legs speed up. Definitely not developing a crush.

Soon after, he arrives at the library. He opens the front door and makes his way in. Then up the stairs he goes. First bookshelf from the back of the building. Second row of the shelf. Should be somewhere in the middle of this row. Not this one. Not this one. Not this one. Not this one. And he’s made it through the whole row…It should be here. But it’s not. He checks all the rows of the bookshelf. His shoulders drop and he sighs. 

It’s not here.

He can’t complain since he’s been lucky enough to find the book every time for the past few months. Of course other people take out this book. It’s not just theirs. Oh he just hopes whoever’s reading it doesn’t take out the note. He should come back and check tonight just in case. So there’s really no point in being here anymore. He’s totally not disappointed. 

He turns to leave and nope that’s a body in the way. He looks up. There is a guy who is drop dead gorgeous, built like Adonis, blond hair that looks so soft that Tony wants to run his fingers through it. And his eyes, Tony doesn’t think he’s ever seen any blue as beautiful as those. God Tony hopes he’s not drooling. This guy seems around his age, but taller. Man his shirt looks like it’s painted on and those pants, way too form fitting. If Tony wasn’t drooling before, he is now. He looks down and this guy has Tony’s book in his hand. _The_ book not _Tony’s_ , it’s not his, he doesn’t own it. The guy has a pen in the other hand. 

Okay, breathe, act cool. He can do this. He is an amazing smooth talker. Tony can feel his lips forming a smirk. He points at the pen, “Umm. Are you writing in that book?” Fucking Christ. Just because someone has a pen in their hand doesn’t mean they’re writing in the books. He’s an idiot. 

Tony can see his cheeks flush a little. Cute. Wonder how far down that goes. “No! I’d never do that. Umm actually, the pen is for the note I wrote in there.” Oh shit. Hot, blond guy is mystery note guy. What luck. Okay, he can do this. He is Tony fucking Stark. 

“Uh, do you do that often? Write notes in books?” He asks. That was not smooth. Is he even still breathing?

“Yeah. I uh kinda have this note exchange thing going on. It sounds cliché and kinda stupid, -”

“-but I think it’s actually really cool,” Tony cuts him off. 

There’s a pause, until the guy says, “Yeah.” Relief and surprise show on his face. It’s a really nice face. A nice face to go along with the nice notes. 

Okay so Tony’s palms are hella sweaty, but it’s time to let the cat out of the bag. “So you’re saying if I had simply come an hour earlier, I could have met you months ago?” His knees do not feel like gelatin and blondie definitely doesn’t make Tony feel like he’s gonna fall over. 

He looks stunned. Tony hears him exhale. “Mystery note person?” the guy asks. 

“Mystery note person,” Tony confirms. His eyes wander to a piece of paper sticking out of the guy’s chest pocket. The edges are ripped kinda weirdly. “Oh hey, is that my note in your boob pocket?” Tony reaches out to grab it but the guy takes a step back and covers it with his hand. Tony grins a little. Nice to know he’s not the only one treasuring them. 

The guy chuckles, “Did you just say boob pocket?” 

“Uhh, if I said no, would it make me less weird?”

“Umm. Possibly…?” 

Well then, here goes nothing, “Yes.” 

He laughs. Note, his laughter does cause butterflies. Tony thinks it’d be wonderful to hear that sound every day. “Didn’t you just –”

“Yes, yes I did,” Tony shrugs. “Embrace your weirdness. Even when you’re grinning in the middle of the streets like a mad man because you’re thinking of this mystery note person and how their laughter would make you feel and people are staring at you.”

And the guy laughs again and his eyes crinkle a little. Man Tony didn’t know he was funny. “Really, even then?”

Tony bites back a smile, “No. Then you start to walk a little faster and hope no one notices that you’re still smiling like an idiot.” 

The guy’s smile grows a little wider if that is even possible. His smile could definitely light up a whole city. Tony notices him opening the book and starting to take out his note. Tony lunges forward to try to grab it, but the guy’s arm shoots up. 

“Hey, it’s my turn. Gimme,” Tony pouts. 

Tony notices the top of his ears flush a little, “I can’t. It’s too embarrassing.” 

“That’s totally not fair! C’mon! You were gonna give it to me anyways, just indirectly!” Tony hears himself whine and if that’s not as embarrassing as whatever the guy wrote in that note. “I’m not jumping, so the only solution is for you to bring your arm down.”

The guy smirks, “The only solution?” His arm doesn’t move an inch. 

Tony mutters, “Tall people and their tallness.” 

“Fine I give in.” Tony raises his eyebrow. That was too easy. “I’ll tell you what it says since I find it adorable when you pout.” Tony opens his mouth about to defend his manliness, but he doesn’t get a chance. “I was gonna ask you out on a date.” Tony’s mouth closes and his eyes widen. Yes, please! 

“Well I don’t know if I can go on a date with you,” Tony can see his smile start to drop so he quickly adds, “when I don’t even know your name?” 

The guy grins and then clears his throat. He puts his hand out, “Steve.”

Tony returns the grin and takes his hand, “Tony.”

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize if the characters are too OOC especially since the story I originally wrote was just two random (heterosexual) people and I tried to modify it so it would fit Steve and Tony a bit more.


End file.
